The present invention refers to an apparatus for heating and thermal decontaminating, such as sterilizing, pasteurizing and/or disinfecting, a pumpable and pourable material, of the type including a microwave device with a treatment chamber for receiving the material being treated.
European patent No. EP-A 0116 921 describes a microwave sterilizer for sterilizing a connector or coupling that interconnects a first conduit from a source of liquid to be infused into a living body to a second conduit implanted in the body. These couplings are medical connections between extracorporeal and intracorporeal devices i.e. a system for peritoneal dialysis. This reference is silent as to a pressure sterilization; Rather, this prior art is concerned only with sterilization of a first charge of liquid in order to prevent infection within the body.
German patent No. DE-A1 34 30 673 discloses an apparatus for pasteurizing and sterilizing pourable or bulky material which is advanced through a treatment chamber by upper and lower conveyor belts, with the material being subjected to microwave radiation in the treatment chamber to kill present bacteria, fungi or the like. Also this apparatus operates at normal pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,116 describes a microwave water-heating apparatus in form of a flow heater, with a microwave chamber housing a polyhedron fluid conductor body which has a plurality of parallel bores formed parallel to the axis of the conductor body for fluid to pass through. These bores end at each axial end in a common chamber, with water entering one chamber and being discharged through the other chamber. This apparatus operates at normal pressure, with the control of the magnetron being based on measurement of the temperature of water exiting the apparatus. When exceeding a certain limiting value, the energy supply to the magnetron is cut.